Improvement in work-boxes



UNifrnD 'STATES PATENT OFFICE,

WILLIAM H. OONANT, OF MOUNT VERNON, NEW HAMPSHIRE, ASSIGNOR TO BRAGG, OONANT St OO., OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN WORK-BOXES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 214,757, dated April 29, 1879; application filed Y December 30, 1878. Y

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. CONANT, of Mount Vernon, in the county of Hillsborough and State of New Hampshire, have invented certain Improvements in Work-Boxes and Spool-Holders7 of which the following iscontained in the box, and means for preventing the shelves or trays from being drawn entirely out 'of the box or casing,'and from tipping when drawn out to their utmost extent.

To these ends my invention consists in the improvements which I will now proceed to describe and claim.

Of the accompanying drawings, forming a part of thisl specification, Figure l represents a perspective view of a work-box and spoolf holder embodying my improvements, the cover being raised. Fig. 2 represents a transverse vertical section of the same with the cover lowered. Fig. 3 represents a horizontal 4section on line w x, Fig. 2.

Similar letters indicate like parts in all the figures.

In the drawings, A represents a box or casing of any suitable i'orm'and size to rest on a ladys work-table. The front of this case is open, and in its ends are irregular guidegrooves a a, which are adapted to support and lguide a sliding flexible cover, b, the ends of the latter projecting into said grooves, which are of such length as to permit the cover to be elevated and expose the interior of the case, as shown in Fig. 1, or lowered to cover the case, as shown in Fig. 2', the cover being always entirely contained in the case. When the cover is in the position shown in Fig. 2 it vis in portions of the grooves which are arranged to hold the cover 'in close proximity to the front edges of the shelves or trays hereinafter described. The cover is preferably composed of independent strips of wood glued to a cloth or other thin iiexible backing.

By the employment of a flexible sliding cover I am enabled to vary the proportions of the case A more than would be possible if' the cover were rigid. Arigid cover adapted to be always contained in the case would have to be arc-shaped and move in arc-shaped grooves, and would require a case of a form correspending to that of the cover-that is to say, the height of the case would have to be about equal to its width from front to back. It is often desirable to make the height of the case considerably greater than its width from. front to back, in order that sufficient spacel may be provided between the horizontal shelves or trays; but if a rigid arc-shaped sliding cover is employed, the Width of the interior of the case must maintain an unvarying relation to its height, so that in order to obtain the desired space between the shelves the case must be so wide as to be inconvenient on account of its bulk and weight.

e e represent shelves or trays, located in the case A. These shelves may be of any desired number, and are adapted to slide in and out. To prevent the shelves from being drawn entirely out of the case, I provide them with suitable stops c', which limit their outward movement. I prefer to form the stops e as parts of the shelves, as shown in Fig. 3. The stops project into horizontal grooves c c in the ends of thel case A. These grooves terminate in abutments c near the front of the case, which abutments arrest the stops e' when the shelf is drawn out, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3. The grooves c prevent the rear edges of the shelves from being displaced vertically. The case is provided with supports s,on which the shelves rest and slide.

I provide the shelves with any suitable attachments, such as spindlesfor holding spools, pin-cushions, thimble-holders, and other accessories ofa ladys work-box; or, if desired,

the shelves may be adapted to hold nothing but spools.

When the shelves are shoved into the case the cover may be moved down to shut them in, and when the cover is raised the shelves, with their contents, may be moved freely in and out. The stops c and abutments c not only enable the shelves to be drawn out rapidly without liability of detaching them from the case, but the stops, in connection with the grooves c, prevent the shelves from tipping when they are drawn out, so that their front portions are unsupported. The shelves are thus enabled to remain in a'horizontal position when drawn out to make their contents accessible, and the shelves can be left in said position as long as may be desirable.

The article thus constructed is compact and yet is adapted to contain a large number of K small articles, which can be readily made accessible, and can be easily stowed away. In other words, the device constitutes a work-box which can be readily extended to make it convenient for use, and is readily reduced to a compact form and protected from dust when not in use.

It will be seen that the exible cover enables the shelves to be made of uniform width, if desired, which could not be doneif the cover were rigid. Ihe arrangement of the grooves brings the cover into close proximity to the front edges of the shelves when it is lowered, as shown in Fig. 4, so that the casing can be made very compact, no space being wasted between the trays and the cover.

I ciaiin as my invention- 1. The combination of a box or case having an opening in front provided with a exible cover, as described, substantially horizontal shelves or trays adapted to slide in and out through the opening, and means whereby the shelves are prevented from being entirely removed from the case and are supported when they are extended or projected, as set forth.

2. A work-box or spool-holder composed of a case having irregular guide-grooves a a, a iexible cover, b, sliding` in said grooves, horizontal grooves c c, provided with end abutments c' c', and suitably-supported sliding shelves or trays e e, provided with stops e e', projecting into the grooves c, all arranged and operating as set forth.

3. A work-boxorspool-holder provided with grooves c, abutments c', and supports s, combined with sliding shelves e, resting on said supports and provided with stops e', as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed myname to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM H. GONANT. VVitnessesz 1 C. F. BROWN,

GEO. W. PIERCE. 

